As the new wave of sports betting washes over the industry, sports betting professionals wager that Esports is fast becoming one of the most sought after types of betting in the world. So, it comes as no surprise that the team behind Altenar, a sportsbook software provider, are taking the figurative bull-by-the-horns when it comes to harnessing Esports for their operators.
Esports took a drastic and increased turn amid the pandemic and as a result, has garnered the affections of bettors, gamers and gamblers around the globe for a host of reasons. The least of which, was that the Esports vertical doesn’t require in-person or live events to take place and reduces the risk of match-fixing, scammers and the like.
Esports has taken the world by storm and as a result has influenced and propelled a great adoption, shift and penetration of internet access in certain areas around the world.
Though, what do the likes of Altenar, a sportsbook software provider, believe the draw to Esports has been to a world so enthralled by sports betting?
Esports Revenue Growth
As of 2018 Esports saw a global revenue of 776.4M USD which was comparatively low to the global revenue of Sports Betting at the time, however, a considerable rise in revenue took place once the pandemic took full-effect and sports venues were closed, for then, an incalculable amount of time. Something had to fill the sports betting space that was created by the unforeseen fallout of the pandemic.
2020 saw the vast increase in Esports and the popularity rose to an all-time high with a total revenue of 1100.1M USD which meant that more people were leaning towards Esports and have begun to expect virtual gaming to be offered by their operators.
The predicted global revenue for Esports is set at 1556.7M USD, however, experts believe that this number will be exceeded as the popularity for virtual gaming climbs daily.
Though, one instance that intrigued Altenar’s sports betting professionals was the type of audience that viewed, participated and generally found Esports to be their preferred vertical of choice…
Who Comprises An Esports Audience?
Altenar discovered that there were two types of Esports audience: Occasional Viewers and Esports Enthusiasts. In line with this, it was clear to see the impact of the pandemic on Sports Betting consumer behaviour through the Esports vertical.
As of 2018 the EE audience held a viewership of 173M to an OV audience of 222M where the bridge between viewership appeared somewhat even and rather low, in comparison to the consumption of traditional online Sports Betting.
As of 2020, some of the OV audience had traversed the bridge and added to the total number of EE viewers at 223M. However, the OV viewership held a resounding 272M viewers as a result of the pandemic and shift towards the Esports vertical.
Interestingly, the market is predicted to spike in numbers and consumers once again with OV viewers at 351M and EE viewers at 295M … however, with the quick-growing nature of the Esports vertical, numbers, stats and data change on a daily basis as the demand for this vertical increases exponentially.
For more market insights you can visit Altenar’s website today for information on specific markets, to request a demo or simply for a chat with one of Altenar’s Sports Betting and Esports experts.
